NanoViricides Developing FluCide to Work Against All Influenza Types and Subtypes

Published on April 27, 2009 at 7:34 AM

NanoViricides, Inc.
(OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), announced that it is developing
FluCide(™), its flagship anti-influenza drug candidate, to work against
all influenza types and subtypes. FluCide has been shown to be effective against
both common influenza subtype H1N1, as well as two different variants of bird
flu subtype H5N1.

The Company has previously announced excellent results in both animal studies
and cell culture studies against widely different influenza subtypes and strains.
If these results are confirmed in further animal and human studies, then FluCide
would likely be considered the best ever drug effective against all influenzas.
The Company is communicating its capabilities to various agencies involved in
the current epidemic response.

The current swine flu outbreak is significant in that the H1N1 virus causing
it is novel (http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/apr2109swine.html).
The US Department of Homeland Security has declared a Swine Flu Emergency yesterday.
The WHO has said that the outbreak is an emergency of international concern
(http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/04/26/DHS-declares-swine-flu-emergency/UPI-53711240725694/).
The pig is known to be a transitional species for influenza viruses. That means
re-assortment (i.e. mixing) of genes from bird flu, human flu, and swine flu
viruses can take place in pigs. This can lead to more lethal, drug resistant
novel strains to emerge from different existing ones.

"Nanoviricides(™) have clear advantages over antibodies and vaccines
as antiviral strategies," said Dr. Diwan, President of NanoViricides. Antibodies
are relatively specific to a particular virus strain or subtype. It is well
known that HIV and influenza viruses among many others, quickly escape antibodies.
Vaccines depend upon the development of antibodies by the host, and thus, cannot
protect efficiently against those viruses which are continually changing their
character, such as the influenza virus. Influenza vaccines in particular have
to be developed with the strain that is expected to infect in the next year’s
cycle. It is well known that this is not a failure-proof strategy for epidemic-causing
strains that are novel.